Dimensions
153 x 233 x 25mm
Far too many of us, argues Gerd Gigerenzer, are hampered by our own innumeracy. Here he shows us that our difficulty in thinking about numbers can easily be overcome.
We are constantly bombarded with facts and figures from the media. Yet advertisers and experts often present genuine data in ways that are deeply misleading. For example, there are a large proportion of errors among positive tests for breast cancer or HIV, yet the results usually go unquestioned. In the OJ Simpson trial, the defence manipulated statistics on domestic violence to confuse the jury and achieve their verdict. Even DNA fingerprinting is never wholly reliable, yet every day people are convicted on its evidence. Nothing, it seems, is foolproof.
Only statistical information can help us cut through to all the facts. This essential new book illustrates how, with a little effort and a few simple techniques, we can all learn to uncloud our minds, demand helpfully presented information and turn ignorance into insight.
